The son of a hotelier was found dead in his Manhattan home last night, and his death might be one of three related drug overdoses.
Charlie Denihan, 29, was found at 15 Union Square West last night by his roommate, according to the Post, which also reported, "Cops found crystal meth, cocaine and the club drug GHB in the home, sources said... Denihan’s death was the third suspected drug fatality in the 13th Precinct within four hours Sunday — and GHB was found at each scene... There is no indication that Denihan and [the two other victims] knew each other. But authorities are having the GHB from both apartments tested to see if it came from the same batch and may have been tainted, sources said."
Denihan was a "management trainee" at the Denihan Hospitality Group, according to his LinkedIn page; his father, Patrick Denihan, is the CEO of Denihan Investments while his aunt, Brooke Barrett is CEO of the hospitality arm. The company operates the James and Affinia hotel brands, plus the The Surrey, The Benjamin, The Franklin, The Mansfield and Shoreham.
The family's hotel dynasty grew from Irish immigrant Benjamin J. Denihan's dry cleaning business at 215 East 64th Street, which catered to the Rockefellers, the Astors, the JP Morgans, Marilyn Monroe and the Duchess of Windsor. His son later turn the hotel into a hotel, launching their entry into hospitality.
The person who answered the phone at the family home told the Post, "It’s not a very good situation." The family issued a statement, "We are devastated at the tragic and sudden loss of Charlie. He was a loving and remarkable son, brother, nephew, cousin, Godfather and friend. In this tragic time, we ask that you remember him in your prayers and respect our privacy as we mourn his passing."
Denihan was in Union Square Park last week, launching a flare copter:
